Tip for wire cables and method of applying same



April 12, 1932, HAYES 1,853,681

TIP FOR WIRE CABLES AND METHOD OF APPLYING SAME Filed Dec. 19, 1929 ,7 I INVENTOR d ames f. Hqzyes ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT mm JAMES F. HAYES, or soMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY v TI]? FOR WIRE cnnnns ND METHOD or APPLYINGSAME Application filed December 19, 1929. Serial No. 415,157.

. This invention relates generally to the cone struction of suitable tips, or cable-end protectors, of hard mater1al, usually metal, and

the application of-the sameto the en ds of 5 wire ropes or other cables so as to prevent the frazzling of the ends thereof.

Theinvention is particularly applicable to wire cables, the cut ends of which are apt to present 'many sharp pointed projecting 1o strands which cut and scratch the hands of users and all surfaces with which they come in contact. One modification of the invention is designed to provide a flexible needle tip for stiff wire cables for facilitating the insertion of] the ends of said cables through sheaves and other curved passageways in which the stiff cable might stickif attempt were made to insert it directly by the pushing action of the operator. The invention also comprises an improved method of making and applying such tip structures consisting essentially in the manufacture of double sets of blanks which may be clamped around a cable at the point where a section is to be out off, and then severing the cable and the blank at one operation, thus leaving each end of the severed sections equipped with one of the improved tip'members.

known to me embodying my invention, and the method of applying same, are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one-half blank with connecting pins, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a cable with the blanks fastened thereon, preparatory to cutting same.

Fig. 3 is a similar new of the end of one cable section with the completed tip applied thereto, parts being broken away or shown in section, and

Fig. id is a similar fied form of tip.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts. 1 and 2 represent two half blanks having their longi- 50 'tudinal edges serrated in such manner that view showing a modi- -'lhe best form of apparatus at present I the teeth 1? and 2 will interlock when the two blanks are assembled in the manner shown in FiggQQ. Usually vthese blanks are cast from some metal such as bronze and the profiles of the teeth 1 andQP- are made uniform and so spaced apart thatthe profile of each Set of teeth is symmetrical with respect to the pitch line thereof, which would be locatedin the position of the pin 3 shown in Fig. 2. The outline of each depression, such as 1*, between two teeth is the same as the outline of each tooth, so that as the result any 'one of a series of standard blanks like 1 and 2 can be used with any other, the teeth interlocking accurately, each tooth 1 in blank 1 fitting into a depression 2 of its companion blank, 2. Each half-blank has a medial portion which-has a half section of a screw thread cut on it, as indicated at 5, and preferably this screw threaded surfaceis divided into two equal lengthwise portions on either side of an intervening groove 6. As the result of this, i when two half-blfanks are assembled with interlocking serrationsas shown inFig. 2, a complete :screw threaded section is formed midway of the ends of the cylinder resulting from such assembly, as also shown in Fig. 2. Holes t are bored along the same straight line through each set of teeth on one edge of a half-blank (i. e. the pitch line of said teeth), and consequently, whenthe two half-blanks are assembled, as shown in Fig. 2, allof said holes 4 on one side will be in line, andfastening pin Scan be driven through the same, thus locking the two vhalf-blanks together. 1 Y H To apply the tip blanks to a'cable a pair of half-blanks 1 and 2 are placed about thecable 7 at a point wherev the latter is to be cut to remove asection of a predetermined length, and these two blanks are forced into close engagement by a press or other suitable apparatus so as to causethe shell-like half-blanks to be firmly clamped on the cable, when the fastening pins 3 have been inserted. If desired, the interior surfaces of the half-blanks may be scored with spiral grooves 9 of the proper size and pitch to permit the spirally arranged strands of, a standard cable, of the size for vwhich the tips are designed, to nest in such grooves. These grooves may be cast in the half-blanks. Also, if the material of which the blanks 1 and 2 are made is soft enough, these pre-formed grooves may be omitted and sulficient pressure given by the clamping press to partially embed the cable strands in the inner surface of the tip sections.

After the two half-blanks have beenfastened about the cable in the manner shown in Fig. 2 the cable, and the enclosing sleeve thereby formed, aresawed through at the groove 6 with a hack saw, thi'is'producing" two cable section-ends each equipped with I a sleeve-like tip member formed by a half blank 1 and a half blank 2. To complete the tip an internally threaded cap 10 is screwed on the threaded end-of the sleeve tip member, as-shown in Fig. 3. These caps may, if desired, be equipped with any convenient holding means such as the hook 11 cast therein. 12 is a transverse hole through the cap 10 through which a pin may be inserted to facilitate screwing the cap into position.

Preferably the threaded portions 5 of the blanks are formed in surfaces having a reduced radius of curvature so that they are sunk below the surface of the remaining portions of the tip blanks, but this countersinking might be omitted.

While the invention is primarily designed for use on wire rope and tension cables, it might also be applicable to electric cables if a portion of the insulating envelope 8 thereof (see Fig. 2) is removed to permit the tip members to be applied.

In the modification shown in Fig. at a different form of cap member 10 is provided having a flat surface on its outer end portion against which a helical spring 15' may rest. A chain 14: or other flexible tension member such as a wire or cord extends through the interior of said helical spring and has one end attached to the cap 10 and the other to a nose-piece 13, which latter is preferably provided with a tapering outer end as shown. Preferably the helical spring 15 is tightly coiled so that normally all adjacent'coils are in contact one with another, as shown in Fig. l, while the chain 1 1 is of a slightly greater length than the coiled spring so as to permit the spring to be flexed sideways or extended slightly. It will be seen that the structure last above described and illustrated in Fig. 4 forms a self-sustaining, flexible needle tip which may be screwed on to any tip member formed by a pair of half-blanks l and'2, in place of the cap 10 shown in Fig. 8, and this can be used conveniently for insertion through any short curved passages such as those existing around the sheaves of a pulley. Power may then be applied to the projecting nose 13 by means of screw eye 19, or any other suitable gripping means, so that the stiff cable or rope 7 can then be pulled through the curved passage.

Preferably the cap 10" has an outer boss 16 which serves to center the end of the spring 15 with reference to the cap. This boss may have a tool hole 18 to facilitate the screwing of cap 10 upon -the fixed tip member which has been formed by portions of blanks 1 and 2 as previously described. The inner surface of the nose piece 13 has a similar boss 17 for centering it in the abutting end of the'spring 15.

The threaded portion 5 of the blanks might be cast, if this could be done with sufiicientaccuracy, as by die casting, but is usually cut by fastening together two halfblanks 1 and 2 and chucking the assembly in a lathe. At the same time the groove 6 is cut.

In commercial use of my invention the half-blanks are marketed in the standardized form shown in Fig. 1, together with a sup ply of pins 3, and whenever a cable section is to be cut off it is unwound from the drum, two half blanks placed one on either side of it, as indicated in Fig. 2, pressed together, and united permanently by inserting pins 3. The cable and blanks are then out by sawing along groove 6, and cap 10 or 1O screwed on to the threaded end of the tip-member so formed. Such cap also serves to, hold the halves of the tip member together in case pins 3shou'ld come out. 7

When. the needle tip is used the nose piece 13, supported by the helical spring 15, can be readily inserted by hand around a pulley in a sheave and under the curved guard thereof by hand, although the rope or cable itself may be so stiff that it would be diflicult, if not impossible, for an operator to insert it through suchpassage vay by pushing it in. The nose piecelS projecting from the other side of the pulley can then be attached to any tension device, as by drawing a rope or cord through the eye 19, and any necessary amount of force may thereby be applied to the nose piece and attached cable to pull the latter through the sheave.

Other forms of flexible structure could be substituted for the helical spring 15, other forms of cap members could be employed, and various details of the above described structure omitted without departing from the principle of my invention, so long as the basic features and mode of operation above set out are retained. Thus the screw cap might be omitted and the protecting effect of the sawed off tip-member formed by blanks 1 and 2 relied upon to hold the cut ends of the cable strands together and prevent them from ravelling.

l-laving described my invention, I claim:

(1. A tip for wire cables and like articles comprising, in combination, two curved shells adapted to fit around a cable and having mutually interlocking teeth on their abutting edges, together with means for holding said teeth in interlocked position.

2. A combination such as defined in claim 1 in which the inner surfaces of said shells are scored with spiral grooves in which the exterior surfaces of the spirally arranged strands of the cable may nest.

3. A combination such as defined in claim 1 in which said holding means comprise holes insaid teeth extending parallel to the axis of saidv assembled curved shells and in line one with another, andpins adapted to be inserted through a plurality of said holes.

4. A structure such as defined in claim 1 combined with a cap adapted to be fastened upon the free end of said tip member over the end of the cable enclosed therein.

5. A structure such as defined in claim 1 in which adjacent end portions of said shells have their outer surfaces of correspondingly reduced radii of curvature, combined with a cap fitting over said reduced end portions.

6. A structure such as defined in claim- 1 in which adjacent end portions of said shells have their outer surfaces of correspondingly reduced radii of curvature, and externally screw threaded, combined with a cap adapted to screw on the threaded end of said tip member so formed.

7 As a new article of manufacture, a blank for use in forming cable tips, which said blank has the form of a semicylindrical shell provided with serrations along each longitudinally extending edge, and a medial portion the outer surface of which is externally screw threaded; whereby, when two suchblanks having interlocking edge serrations are clamped about a cable and the assembled elements cut transversely across the cylindrical externally screw threaded portion so formed, each severed end of the cable sections so produced will be enclosed by a tip member having a screw threaded outer end adapted to retain an internally threaded cap screwed thereon.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a blank for use in forming cable tips, which said blank has the form of a semicylindrical shell provided with serrations along each longitudinally extending edge, and a medial portion the outer surface of which is of a reduced radius of curvature, said last mentioned portion being externally screw threaded: whereby, when two such blanks having interlocking edge serrations are clamped about a cable and the assembled elements cut transversely 9. An article of manufacture such as defined in claim 7 in which the contour of the teeth and intervening recesses forming said entially arranged external groove located midway of said screw threaded portion, to facilitate the severance of the same.

11. An article of manufacture such as defined in claim 7 in which the teeth forming each set of said edge serrations have perforations in line each with all others and thereby are adapted to receive a single fastening pin.

12. The combination of a wire cable and a tip for the end thereof comprising two semicylindrical shells clamped about said end and having screw threaded ends, together with a cap screwed over said assembled ends.

13. A combination such as defined in claim 12 in which said shells are internally scored to form helical grooves in which the spirally strands of said cable are nested.

14. The herein described method of equipping the ends of sections of wire cable withscrew threaded tip members, which comprises the following steps: forming semi.- cylindrical hollow blanks with externally screw threaded medial portions; clamping two such blanks about the cable at the point at which a section of given length is to be cut off; and severing said assembled blanks and enclosed cable approximately midway of the length of said screw threaded portions, and transversely thereof.

15. The herein described method of equipping the ends of sections of wire cable with tip members which comprises the follow-' ing steps casting two semi-cylindrical hollow blanks internally provided with helical grooves having the same pitch as the helices of the spirally disposed strands of the cable and having their longitudinally extending edges correspondingly serrated so as to interlock when assembled; interlocking and clamping said blanks about the cable at the point at which a section of a given length is to be cut off; and cutting said cable and attached blanks at a point intermediate of the ends of the latter and transversely thereof. Signed at Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, this 23rd day of November, A. D. 1929. JAMES F. HAYES.

across the cylindrical externally screw thread- 7 

